Curtain wall systems, which typically include panels including glass panes and other materials, are well known in the art. The curtain wall is secured to a frame of a structure (e.g., a multi-story building) to provide the exterior facade of the structure.
The curtain wall system typically is not load-bearing, except to the extent that it bears its own weight. During installation of a unitized curtain wall, the panels are connected to each other. In designing the curtain wall system, a number of factors typically are considered. For example, the method of installing the panels to form the curtain wall system ideally should be relatively simple in practice, because of the significant costs that may otherwise be incurred. However, the known methods of installation are still relatively complex.
Also, although the thermal efficiency of the known curtain wall systems has been improving, it is generally thought to be somewhat unsatisfactory. In addition, the prior art curtain wall systems typically provide only a limited number of options for designers (e.g., architects) regarding the appearance of the installed curtain wall system.